


A Rift Between Us

by Cassangstel



Category: Cassunzel - Fandom, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack and Angst, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kissing, Lesbian Character, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29250069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassangstel/pseuds/Cassangstel
Summary: When someone close to Rapunzel dies a sudden death, Cassandra does what she can to comfort the girl she loves. However, Cassandra's bad social skills and confused emotions get the better of her. Can the rift between the two be closed, or will their relationship be over before the funeral has even begun?
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Kudos: 13





	A Rift Between Us

She sighed contentedly and pulled the blanket up over her head, blocking out the golden daylight streaming in between her thick curtains. The Princess was awake, and had been for a few minutes, but her bed was just too comfortable for her to get out of right away. As she lay in bed with her eyes still shut, delighting in the warmth that had accumulated beneath the covers throughout the night, she went over all the things she had planned for the day. 

It was her day off -- no meetings, no chores, no Princess duties to worry about. Her and Cass had made plans to go for a walk in the woods. There were strange animal tracks Cass had found the other day in the mud that she hoped her and Rapunzel could follow together. It would be a perfect outing filled with mystery, discovery, and good company. 

Rapunzel smiled and rolled over onto her back, peeking out from her blanket and letting her sleep-filled eyes focus on her curtains. The morning was her favorite time of day. It hadn’t always been; when she still lived in the tower, every new day had only brought with it more repetition and boredom. These days, life at the castle, though often stressful, were never boring. That was especially true thanks to her best friend Cassandra. 

There was a quick knock on her bedroom door that jolted her out of her fuzzy daydreams. Feeling excitement rush over her, Rapunzel leapt out of bed, suddenly energized, and rushed to her door. She didn’t even bother fixing her hair. 

She opened the door, knowing exactly who was on the other side. Without a moment’s hesitation, she jumped into the surprised arms of Cass and planted a kiss on her lips. The guard-to-be was already dressed in her burgundy turtleneck, gray and brown tunic, and pirate-esque striped leggings and boots. There was a small bag at her feet filled with sandwiches and canteens of water for their adventure. 

Even though Rapunzel and Cass had been spending so much time together, Cass was always somehow shocked when Rapunzel broke into her personal space. As they kissed, Rapunzel could feel Cass’ muscles tense, then soften, until the taller girl broke away and smiled; her cheeks were as rosy as could be. 

“Alright, Raps. It’s good to see you, too.” Cass laughed. “Are we leaving soon?”

“Yes, definitely. Wanna brush my hair for me?” Rapunzel looked up at Cass and raised an eyebrow. 

“I thought I was done with my lady-in-waiting duties,” Cass said sarcastically, pretending to be angry. 

“You mean soldiers don’t ever have to brush their friend’s hair?” A giggle left the young Princess’ mouth, and Cassandra chuckled, then Rapunzel grabbed Cass’ hand and led her into her room. 

“Woah, what happened here?” Cass exclaimed, scanning the dark bedroom. Rapunzel hadn’t noticed, but her hair was draped all across the canopy of her bed. 

“I--I don’t know…” Rapunzel said. She let go of Cassandra’s hand and followed the trail of hair that led from her head, down to her feet, and across the room to her bed. Meanwhile, Cass walked over to the windows and pulled open the curtains, filling the room with a blinding light that gradually subsided as the girls’ eyes adjusted. 

Out of habit, Cassandra walked over to Rapunzel’s wardrobe to take out her day dress and prepare it, when a scream nearly made her heart leap out of her chest. Cass dropped the dress and pulled her sword out of the scabbard on her back, then stood in a fighting stance all within a matter of milliseconds. She was ready for anything, but there was no way she could have prepared for what she saw next.

Rapunzel was standing beside her bed, looking up. There was a look of horror on her face that Cass had never seen before, not even during their life-threatening adventures together. As Cass followed Rapunzel’s gaze, she could see Pascal, hanging in midair, his neck wrapped tightly with the golden hair. He hung there as still as an icicle hanging from a branch on a winter morning, until Rapunzel frantically untied the knot and took him down. 

“Oh god, Cass. Help,” Rapunzel said through sobs. She cradled Pascal’s green body in her shaking hands and looked at Cass with helpless red eyes. “Please!” 

Cass’ legs felt as though they had been glued to the floor, but she pulled them up and made her way as quickly as she could across the room. Rapunzel gave up Pascal as soon as Cass was there -- Cass would fix this, Rapunzel knew she would. There was nothing Cass couldn’t fix. 

Doing CPR on a chameleon was something she had never even thought of having to do. Still, there wasn’t a moment of time to waste. In the back of both girls’ minds the realization that he could have been hanging there for hours made their hope of bringing their little green friend back falter, but they wouldn’t admit it -- not even to themselves. 

Cassandra took Pascal and hastily cleared a spot for him on Rapunzel’s desk. Not knowing what else there was to do, she began performing CPR on him the best that she could. Rapunzel watched intently, gripping the edge of the table. While Cass pumped Pascal's chest and gently breathed into his tiny lungs, Rapunzel didn’t make a sound. 

“Raps,” Cass started. “I… I don’t--”

“Please, keep trying,” Rapunzel pleaded, though Cass could tell that Rapunzel’s hope was gone. 

For the next twenty minutes, Cass kept at it. She did everything she could think of doing, but she felt no heartbeat. Rapunzel had fallen back into a chair. She took Pascal’s cold body once again into her hands, then dropped her head. In a final effort to get out of this nightmare, Rapunzel wrapped the end of her hair around Pascal’s entire body, and sang the healing incantation. Her voice was cracking and quivering with every word, but she wouldn’t stop until the incantation was done. 

Her hair glowed as brightly as candlelight, and for a moment, Cass was sure that this was going to work -- why hadn’t she thought of it? However, even after the incantation had been sung, then spoken, then sung again, and again, Pascal didn’t move. It was over. 

It pained Cassandra to see the girl she loved more than herself feel so defeated. Feeling awkward, and distraught, Cassandra noticed something sticking out of Rapunzel’s hair a few feet away. Wanting more than anything to get away from this emotional situation, she decided to examine it, but when she did, she realized that it was a note.

“Hey, Raps,” Cass said. She held the note in front of Rapunzel. “This was in your hair.” 

“What is it?” Rapunzel said through a sob.

Cass unfolded the piece of paper to see child-like writing sprawled across it. At the bottom was Pascal’s name. “I think it’s… from Pascal.” 

At Pascal’s name, Rapunzel’s heart jumped and she looked up. “Read it to me,” she said. 

Cassandra wished Rapunzel had read the note herself -- she knew that reading the note out loud would only make her own eyes turn red. But because she asked, Cass read it:

“To Rapunzel, I m sorry I had to go this way, but I don’t belong hear. Pleez don’t be sad. I lov you. Pascal.” By the end of the note, both girls were sobbing. Rapunzel placed Pascal’s body back into her lap, then held her hands out and looked at Cassandra as if she were a child asking their parent to pick them up. 

Cass knelt down beside the Princess’ chair and looked up into her pained eyes for a moment before Rapunzel dropped her head onto Cass’ shoulder and held her. Rapunzel’s fists tightly wrapped around the fabric on the back of Cassandra’s tunic, not ever wanting to let her go. Cass felt Rapunzel’s tear drop onto her neck and slide down beneath her collar. This display of the girl’s sadness was enough to break Cassandra’s heart. Yet, she never knew what to say to people when they cried. It didn’t seem like ‘it’s okay’ was enough. 

“You’ll get over it, Raps. I know it’s sad, but--”

“I won’t get over it,” Rapunzel cut in, raising her voice. She broke away from their embrace and turned her attention back to Pascal’s body. 

Cassandra watched as a rift grew between them, and she had no idea how to climb out of it. She remained silent, too afraid to speak. 

“Just… I need to be alone,” Rapunzel finally said.

“I-I’m… I’m sorry,” Cass said. Her words were barely audible. Cass left, confused, then ran down the hallway and down the stairs to her own bedroom where she could cry. 

* * *

Petals were falling from the budding trees as Pascal was placed into a painted wooden box and buried in the ground. The box was covered in the Princess’ colorful, intricate illustrations of herself, Cass, the King and Queen, Eugene, and Pascal. Previously, the box was used to store her jewelry. She had dumped the jewels out onto her bed and lined the bottom with soft fabric. 

Now, that box was being covered in dirt, never to be seen again. It held inside of it the oldest friend Rapunzel had. Pascal had been her first playmate, her first reading buddy, her first art critic, her first protector -- he was a brother. And now he was gone. 

Rapunzel pushed the final mound of dirt over the box, then stood up and took a few steps back. Her, Cass, Eugene, Lance, the King and Queen, Angry and Red, and Max were standing in a small clearing in the woods. The trees around them were thick and overbearing, barely letting in any sunlight. However, there was one break in the trees’ branches that, at a certain time of day, allowed golden beams to fill the clearing. Rapunzel had discovered the clearing with Pascal when she first came to Corona with Eugene so long ago. 

Friends and family looked down at the fresh pile of dirt with turned down mouths and drooping eyes. Max laid down next to the small grave, his head resting on the ground and his eyes turned down. Rapunzel wrapped her arms around his neck and stroked his mane. She knew that Max felt as sad as she did.

Her parents gave her warm hugs, and her father squeezed her shoulder supportively. Lance cried on Rapunzel’s shoulder for a moment. Red picked flowers and laid them all around the grave, and Angry found seashells and rocks to mark the spot. Eugene stood beside Rapunzel, gripping her hand tightly as he looked down at his fallen comrade. Cassandra stood at the back, unsure of how to feel. 

They all stayed in the clearing together for about 30 minutes. “I’m so sorry, Blondie,” Eugene said. “You know I’m always here if you need anything.” Rapunzel nodded, then watched him leave. Then, one by one everyone gave Rapunzel a hug, nod, or quick hand hold and walked back to the castle with their heads hanging down. 

The support from those who loved her was very slowly healing Rapunzel’s shocked heart. To know that Pascal, her special friend, was loved by so many amazing people almost put a smile on her face. But when everyone was gone, including Max, Rapunzel realized it was just her and Pascal -- just like it always used to be. 

“It’s just us,” Rapunzel said, as if Pascal’s big eyes were still looking up at her. “You got me through so much, Pascal. I wish… I wish I could thank you.” She couldn’t finish her sentence without breaking into uncontrollable sobs. She lay down on the ground, wishing she could be buried with him. “Why, Pascal. Why did you have to go?” 

Still standing by the clearing, hidden behind a large tree trunk, was Cassandra. Her heart was on fire, but her mind felt like it was drowning. Should she try and comfort the Princess again, or would she only make things worse?

Just then, Rapunzel felt a hand on her shoulder. Wondering who was seeing her at her most vulnerable, she turned her head and looked up through blurry eyes. It was Cass. Her brow was low, and her lips thin. Rapunzel could tell that she was holding back tears of her own. Yet, something told her that Cass’ tears weren’t for Pascal. 

Rapunzel sat up and wiped her eyes on the hem of her dress. “I thought you had already left.” 

“I was going to… Everyone thought maybe you could use some alone time, but…” 

“I know you never cared about Pascal, Cassandra. You don’t need to pretend for me.” 

Rapunzel’s words cut deep. “Raps… I did love Pascal. I didn’t know him as well as you did, but I loved him. I… I loved him because you loved him. And I hate myself for not being able to comfort you the way I should have. I just… I’m not good with words.” 

Then, as if Rapunzel realized that she had only been overreacting, Rapunzel shrunk into herself like a deflating balloon. “Can you stay with me?” The rift was gone.

“I’ll stay here with you as long as you need.” Cass gave Rapunzel a quick smile, then sat down beside her. The Princess leaned on Cass’ left side. She reached behind her back and moved Cass’ arm so that it wrapped around her shoulder. If there was anything in the world that could take the pain of losing Pascal away, it was being loved by Cass. 

“It’s okay to... you know, let it all out,” Cass said. 

“Thanks, Cass.” Rapunzel felt comfortable around Cass. She knew that she could do just about anything without Cass’ opinion of her changing. And so, feeling free to do just as she had said, she cried. Cass stroked her hair and stayed silent. All the while, her heart pounded away. 

After the Princess had had a good cry, she took a few deep breaths and calmed down. “I guess Pascal was pretty old. It’s amazing he lived as long as he did, actually. I read that Chameleons usually only live about 8 years.” Rapunzel’s tears had stopped flowing for the moment, and Cass knew she was lost in thought. She always loved when Rapunzel lost herself in new discoveries and passions. Then, the Princess dropped the side of her head into Cass’ lap and closed her eyes; a day filled with heartbreak and tears was enough to wear even the most energetic of people out. 

“Pascal was a strong little lizard,” Cass said, playing with Rapunzel’s hair.

“I just wish he had told me how he felt.” 

“I do, too, Raps. But, he made up his mind to go… He wanted to go this way. It seems like he had been planning this for a long time, what with the note and everything. All you can do now is accept that.” Cass spoke carefully.

“I don’t know how to accept that!” Rapunzel said, opening her eyes and sitting back up. “How can I live without him? I… I can’t.” 

Suddenly feeling overwhelmed by her love and pity for the girl beside her, words came out of Cass’ mouth before she even knew what they’d be. “You can!” Cass exclaimed. She held the Princess at arms length so that they could see each other clearly. “Everything is going to be different without Pascal. Every day is going to be a challenge. But eventually, you’ll learn to get used to this new life, one day at a time. And then… this new life won’t be so new anymore, and… and things will be alright. And I’ll be right here for you every step of the way.” She sputtered to a stop and felt her ears turn hot. Had she overspoken? Had what she said even made sense? 

Cassandra could see that Rapunzel was surprised by her sudden outburst. Cass expected the Princess to yell at her, to tell her to go away and leave her alone. But she didn’t. 

Rapunzel grabbed Cass’ hands and pressed them against her heart, sending tingles through both of their bodies. “I know what you mean, Cass.” Then, she laid back down with her head on her spot on Cass’ lap. “How did you ever get so wise?” Rapunzel asked. She turned her head so that she could see Cass’ face. The sunlight glimmered in the Princess’ eyes, making it look like golden flakes of sun swam in the sea of green. Cass wanted nothing more than to swim with them. Both of the girls’ cheeks were flushed -- Rapunzel’s from crying, and Cass’ from something much deeper within herself. A tear hung from the younger one’s chin and Cass wiped it away with the sleeve of her tunic. 

“Trust me, I’m not wise.”

“You are.” 

* * *

When the sun began to disappear from the sky, Cass helped Rapunzel up. They took a final look at the grave marked with a circle of flowers, rocks, and seashells, then walked back to the castle. As they went, each girl’s arm rested on the other girl’s waist, creating an X shape when seen from behind. They decided to take the long way home, and as the orange and red clouds became black and gray, they recalled their favorite memories of the departed, and learned to laugh once again.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment to let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome!


End file.
